Diascia plant named ‘KLEDI04018’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Diascia  plant named ‘KLEDI04018’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; light red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Diascia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEDI04018’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Diascia plant named ‘KLEDI04015’.

Applicant: Nils Klemm.

Title: Diascia plant named ‘KLEDI04016’.

Applicant: Nils Klemm.

Title: Diascia plant named ‘KLEDI04017’.

Applicant: Nils Klemm.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant, botanically known as Diascia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘KLEDI04018’.

The new Diascia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright and freely branching Diascias with numerous attractive flowers, and good garden performance.

The new Diascia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2003 of an unnamed proprietary seedling of Diascia hybrida, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary seedling of Diascia hybrida identified as code number SG 3, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Diascia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in November, 2003, in an controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since November, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Diascia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘KLEDI04018’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘KLEDI04018’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘KLEDI04018’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Light red-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in plant form as plants of the new Diascia are more uniform than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Diascia differ primarily from plants of the cultivar ‘KLEDI04015’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/343,879 filed concurrently; the cultivar ‘KLEDI04016’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/343,872 filed concurrently; and the cultivar ‘KLEDI04017’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/343,873 filed concurrently, primarily in flower color.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Kiedione, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,564. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of the cultivar Kiedione primarily in plant habit as plants of the cultivar Kiedione are more trailing. In addition, plants of the new Diascia and the cultivar Kiedione differ in flower color as plants of the cultivar Kiedione have light pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Diascia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘KLEDI04018’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany, in an outdoor nursery during the summer with day temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 35° C., night temperatures ranging from 10° C. to 20° C., and light levels about 20,000 lux. Plants were grown for about 6.5 months in containers and pinched two times. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Diascia hybrida cultivar ‘KLEDI04018’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling of Diascia             hybrida, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary seedling of Diascia hybrida             identified as code number SG 3, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 7 days at 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 days             at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 17 days             at 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading to             eventually semi-trailing plant habit. Freely branching with             about 50 lateral branches forming per plant. Moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm to 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 50 cm to 60 cm.         -   Lateral branches (peduncles).—Length: About 25 cm to 40 cm.             Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm to             3.5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 137A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.             Length: About 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm. Width: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Truncate. Margin: Serrate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and             fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147A.             Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B;             venation, 147A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Solitary zygomorphic flowers arranged             on terminal racemes. Five modified petals fused at base.             Flowers not persistent. Flowers face upright, outwardly to             drooping.         -   Quantity.—Freely flowering; typically about 35 to 40 flower             buds and flowers per lateral branch.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             spring through the summer in Germany.         -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about ten weeks after             planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five days.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 10 cm. Width: About 4 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Depth: About 2             cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Diameter: About 2             mm to 3 mm. Shape: Rounded ovoid. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five modified petals fused at             base. Length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Width: About 1 cm to             1.5 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 58B; towards             the base, 61A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             58C; towards the base, 61A.         -   Spur.—Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 45D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base; star-shaped. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About             1 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Width: About 1 mm.             Angle: Mostly erect, bending with the weight of the flowers.             Strength: Weak. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             four. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 9A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Style length: About 1 mm.             Stigma shape: Pointed. Stigma color: Light green. Seeds:             Length: About 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to             1 mm. Color: Brown. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Diascia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Diascia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Diascia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35° C. and have     good garden performance. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant named ‘KLEDI04018’, as illustrated and described. 